Cranes are an excellent piece of lifting equipment that has a diverse list of potential applications that many would be aware of. Most people's experiences of cranes is a fleeting image that they see when they pass a construction site. They are massive heavy machinery that are used to move very heavy goods to very high places in order to facilitate the development of large buildings. However, cranes are used in a variety of situations in order to carry out a range of different roles. Afterall, many different industries require the moving of heavy objects, and few things can compete with a crane in that application.
To meet these range of roles that cranes play in different environments, there are a number of different types of cranes that have been developed. These operate in fundamentally similar capacities, but there are important differences that make them more or less suited to any given circumstance.
Overhead Cranes
The first type of crane that can be found in factories and assembly lines throughout the world is an overhead crane. These are ideal tools for businesses to use to transport components from one area to another with the minimal amount of labour and risk of injury involved. These cranes can be produced to a variety of different specifications, but one of the ways in which they can be implemented in the most advantageous way, is to connect them with a track system. This is where the actual crane has been installed on a separate installation that enables the crane to move along channels placed overhead, enabling the crane to move items from one location to the next. Besides being a great method for moving things, in tight workspaces, using other heavy machinery such as pallet trucks for the same purpose can be difficult, making an overhead crane one of the best options.
Mobile Cranes
Mobile cranes are another popular type of crane. As the name suggests, these cranes are designed to be transported from one location to another. They are often mounted on trucks or other vehicles, making them ideal for construction sites where the crane needs to be moved around frequently. Mobile cranes come in various sizes and capacities, from small truck-mounted cranes to large all-terrain cranes.
Tower Cranes
Tower cranes are the most recognisable type of crane, often seen on large construction sites. These tall, fixed cranes are used to lift heavy materials to great heights during the construction of tall buildings. They are assembled on-site and can reach impressive heights, making them essential for skyscraper construction and other large-scale building projects.